real estate news

Houston nails No. 1 ranking for new construction homes sold in U.S.

Houston sold more than 1,700 new construction homes in March.

The Lone Star State is holding on to its reputation as one of the hottest moving destinations, and a new report shows four Texas metro areas have sold the most new construction homes in the country, with Houston outshining them all.

Houston sold the most new construction homes nationwide in March 2024, according to SmartAsset's recently published report, "Where the Most New Construction Homes Are Being Added – 2024 Study." The metro area claimed the No. 1 spot out of 153 U.S. cities ranked based on Zillow's real estate data from March and April.

A total of 1,751 new build homes were sold in the Houston area in March, for a median sale price of $347,990. The metro's median price point for newly constructed homes is about $30,000 more than the median price for all Houston homes sold in April, which came out to $318,104.

New construction home prices seem high for Houston, but things could be much worse. San Jose, California (which ranked No. 132) only sold 41 newly built homes in March, but they sold for a median sale price of $1.734 million.

While inflation jumped by nearly 23 percent from spring 2019 to spring 2024, SmartAsset says housing prices skyrocketed even more during the same time period to 49.4 percent on average. The report indicates these daunting figures aren't having an optimistic effect on potential buyers.

"Housing costs are often the largest budget item for Americans and this could make home ownership feel out of reach for many," the report's author wrote. "But adding new housing can help relieve price pressures in undersupplied metro areas."

Dallas was right behind Houston in the national standings with 1,574 new construction homes sold in March 2024. But the median sale price for these new homes in the North Texas metro was much higher than Houston's, at $414,950, which is nearly $36,000 higher than the median price for all homes sold during the following month.

Other Texas cities that helped secure the state's dominance in the top 10 include San Antonio (No. 5) and Austin (No. 7). Only 777 new construction homes were sold in the Alamo City in March, with a median sale price of $310,446, which is the most affordable price out of all Texas cities in the top 10. In Austin, 750 new build homes were sold in March, for a median price of $434,900.

The top 10 U.S. metros with the most new construction homes being sold are:

No. 1 – Houston, Texas
No. 2 – Dallas, Texas
No. 3 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 4 – Phoenix, Arizona
No. 5 – San Antonio, Texas
No. 6 – Charlotte, North Carolina
No. 7 – Austin, Texas
No. 8 – Nashville, Tennessee
No. 9 – Tampa, Florida
No. 10 – Raleigh, North Carolina

Real estate data for all 153 U.S. cities mentioned in the report – including new construction sales count, median sales prices, median sale price per square foot, and median price for all homes (as of April 2024) — was sourced from Zillow based on all single-family homes and condos.

The full report can be found on smartasset.com.

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guess who

This affluent Houston enclave is the richest small town in Texas

Facebook / City of Bellaire, Texas

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Affluent Houston neighbor Bellaire is cashing in as the richest small town in Texas for 2025, according to new study from GoBankingRates.

The report, "The Richest Small Town in Every State," used data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to determine the 50 richest small towns in America based on their median household income.

Of course, Houstonians realize that describing Bellaire as a "small town" is a bit of misnomer. Located less than 10 miles from downtown and fully surrounded by the City of Houston, Bellaire is a wealthy enclave that boasts a population of just over 17,000 residents. These affluent citizens earn a median $236,311 in income every year, which GoBankingRates says is the 11th highest household median income out of all 50 cities included in the report.

The average home in this city is worth over $1.12 million, but Bellaire's lavish residential reputation often attracts properties with multi-million-dollar price tags.

Bellaire also earned a shining 81 livability score for its top quality schools, health and safety, commute times, and more. The livability index, provided by Toronto, Canada-based data analytics and real estate platform AreaVibes, said Bellaire has "an abundance of exceptional local amenities."

"Among these are conveniently located grocery stores, charming coffee shops, diverse dining options and plenty of spacious parks," AreaVibes said. "These local amenities contribute significantly to its overall appeal, ensuring that [residents'] daily needs are met and offering ample opportunities for leisure and recreation."

Many popular Houston restaurants are setting their sights on this wealthy enclave. Detroit-style pizzamakers Gold Tooth Tony’s opened its second pizza joint in Bellaire in 2024. And most recently, Michelin-recognized Tex-Mex restaurant Candente announced it would open a second location just down the street from Gold Tooth Tony's at 5101 Bellaire Blvd.

Earlier in 2025, GoBankingRates ranked Bellaire as the No. 23 wealthiest suburb in America, and it's no stranger to being named on similar lists comparing the richest American cities.

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